What is Mutation Rate?
The mutation rate is the rate at which organisms experience genetic mutations, which can include simple genetic variations or more complex mutations which result in a considerable divergence from other organisms of the same species. The mutation rate is usually expressed as the chance of mutations within a single generation. People sometimes confuse mutation rates with mutation frequency: the rate refers to a probability of mutation, while the frequency actually involves counting the number of organisms with a particular genetic mutation. A species that has a high mutation rate can find it easier to adapt to a changing environment. However, high mutation rates can be bad for individuals, because many mutations are not beneficial. As a result, the high rate of mutation would cause many individuals to die, while a few developed to respond to environmental changes and perpetuate the species. This makes high rates good for species as a whole, but not good for individual representatives. A
